Chapter 4 - Familiar Faces: Rise of an Avenger

As the six shinobi plummeted down to the valley floor, all of them were actively scanning the area with their senses, none of them wanted to walk into an ambush. By the time they reached the ground though, it seemed as if there was nothing to worry about, even Kiba’s nose and Taka’s eyes could find no sign of trouble.

“Well it seems as if our arrival went unnoticed,” commented Temari in a low voice, “that can only be a good thing.” She glanced around at the other five, particularly Iruka. “You all remember your jobs right? Iruka, Kiba, and Lee will search the southern half of the valley and the rest of us will search the north. Get ready. We split up on my mark.” The two teams turned to face in their respective directions, backs to each other. “Ready, set, m…” A panicked cry from Washime somewhere above caused Temari to stop as Taka listened closely and grabbed the thin flutelike whistle that hung around her neck.

“She says that something is coming, and fast,” she told the group after a moment. The look on her fast was sufficient to tell Akai that Washime did not normally distinguish between ‘coming’ and ‘coming fast’. He instinctively reached up and grabbed the hilt of his bokuto.

“How fast and from where?” asked Iruka quickly, thinking like Akai and removing a kunai from the pouch on his leg. Even as he asked, Taka raised the whistle to her lips. As she let loose the first note, Akamaru’s ears perked up, as if he could hear something the others couldn’t and was surprised by it. Akai realized this quickly and knew that something was wrong. Akamaru had heard Taka use the whistle numerous times to check up with Washime during the trip here, so why was he reacting this time. Kiba noticed this as well and quickly turned his back to the valley wall behind them so he was facing the tree line.

“Incoming!” he shouted, but he was too late.

Before she could even start the second note of her question to Washime, something slammed into Taka at tremendous speed, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying toward the rock wall behind them. Akai jumped in her path to keep her from impacting the wall, but the force of the attack was enough to also send him flying backwards. His back slammed hard into the rock, but he didn’t hear any breaking bone, which he knew he would have if Taka had hit the hard stone. The force of the attack had already knocked the kunoichi unconscious and dislocated her left shoulder. Akai looked up to see what had attacked her, but there was nothing there and the other shinobi were all scanning the surrounding area.

“What happened?” called Akai to the others as he gently laid Taka down on the grassy floor of the valley and knelt be side her to do what healing he could.

“An attack of some kind,” shouted Kiba, using his nose to scour the air, “that’s what Akamaru heard, but it was too fast for even me to react.” A half puzzled half amazed look crossed his face as he stopped sniffing. “That’s impossible!”

“What is it, Kiba?” asked Iruka, who had stopped searching when he heard Kiba’s remark, “is something wrong?”

“The speed this guy must have used,” replied Kiba, staring at his former teacher in amazement, “I can’t even find a scent trail!” Akamaru barked in agreement, to the shock of all those present.

“How can that be?” pondered Iruka, “that kind of speed is…” Washime let loose another cry just before Iruka was hit and sent flying toward the wall. This time it took Lee’s speed and strength to stop him. Iruka, having realized another attack was coming thanks to Washime, had braced himself for it and been able to remain conscious. He was winded, but after a moment he was able to speak again.

“There are two of them!” he shouted to the rest of the group, causing even Akai to look up from trying to reset Taka’s shoulder. “They’re attacking at once to take us out individually.” A moment later, laughter was heard from the trees ahead of them, deep and demonic sounding. Akai, as he started to gather chakra in his right palm for the Mystic Palm Healing Jutsu, realized what that kind of attack could mean.

“Guys!” he shouted to the rest of the group, “that kind of attack means they are probably weak on the defensive. If we can slow them down enough to hit them, one good attack should take them out!” He waited until Temari nodded before going back to working with Taka’s injury. With a quick shift of his glowing hands, he snapped her shoulder back in place. Despite the fact that the Mystic Palms should have deadened the pain, Taka’s entire body shook as if on impulse and she started to stir. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked up at Akai, who was kneeling over her. For a moment, Akai thought he saw a flash of gratitude in her eyes, the first since the two had met and Akai had been so overly rude. It was gone quickly however, the group heard another cry from Washime, this one not as panicked, and Akai and Taka both looked up at the scene of battle.

Temari had removed her fan and now had it fully open and resting behind her back, ready for her to swing forward at a seconds notice. Remembering the leveled trees from earlier, Akai had a pretty good idea of what she was planning. Iruka was standing on his own close to the wall and clutching his right shoulder, and Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee were all standing ready just behind Temari, who Akai and Taka could now see appeared to be waiting for something. A few seconds later, Akamaru let out a loud growl and raised his ears, the signal Temari was waiting for. With out stopping to think, the jonin swung her massive fan forward, releasing an equally massive blast of wind.

“Kiba, Lee, now!” she shouted as two figures suddenly appeared in the middle of the wind stream. The momentum they had been moving with caused them to remain suspended there for a short moment, just long enough for Kiba and Lee to move into action. And just long enough for a Akai to recognize the two.

“No, wait!” he shouted, leaping up and running toward the fight, but it was too late and Lee and Kiba were already moving too quickly to hear him. Kiba was charging forward and going into a spin, using the less powerful but still damaging Tunneling Fang since he and Akamaru had been too rushed to use Man-Beast Clones to prepare for Fang Over Fang. Lee dropped low in front of the second figure and kicked him skyward before using Shadow of the Dancing Leaf to execute the Primary Lotus. By the time the attacks were finished, Akai knew it was too late, they were already dead, but he ran towards them anyway. He stopped next to the first figure, and Iruka was the first to realize that something was wrong when he saw a tear drop from Akai’s face.

The figure was just a little kid, no more than eleven years old, and he wore the traditional work tunic, emblazoned with the Red Lotus symbol, of the Kajihana Clan. Akai fell to his knees when he saw the shocked look frozen on the boy’s face from when he had been caught by Temari’s surprise attack. Akai looked over at the other body, and seeing that it was identical to the first, hung his head. It was all he could do to keep from screaming in agony, even as Iruka told Kiba and Lee to search the surrounding area for other enemies. It seemed like forever before someone laid a hand on Akai’s shoulder.

“Who were they?” asked Taka’s voice softly as she knelt down beside Akai. It took a moment for Akai to answer as something seemed to be lodged in his throat.

“Roan and Matsu, my twin cousins,” he replied slowly, tears still threatening to pour out of his eyes. All he could think about was that day ten weeks earlier, when Lady Tsunade had offered that he stay in the village and train to become a shinobi. Roan and Matsu had been the first to congratulate him after the his parents and siblings. He had promised them that they would be the first to see everything he had learned when the clan returned to the village. “How could this have happened?” Akai asked to no one in particular, to the darkness of the night.

“They were possessed,” replied Iruka from a short distance away, where he and Temari were examining Roan’s body. This response prompted the tears to stop forming in Akai’s eyes and he was at Iruka’s side almost immediately.

“What do you mean?”

“This,” he said, pointing to where Kiba’s tunneling fang had impacted with the boy’s stomach and shredded his tunic. There, Akai could see an ornate circular pattern that was branded into Roan’s skin. He did not recognize the pattern, but he instantly knew its purpose.

“A sealing jutsu?” he asked, stunned by what that could mean, “they had demon’s sealed inside them?” He examined the seal again and this time realized that it was very poorly done. He knew from his own studies of sealing jutsu that whatever this seal had been meant to contain could have easily broken out, which lent credence to Iruka’s claim of possession. “How?”

“It can only have been the Akatsuki,” said Taka from behind Akai, causing him to turn around, “that would explain why they wanted live prisoners.”

“Just to make demon-hosts?” questioned Iruka, “Why?”

“Think about it, Iruka,” interrupted Temari, bringing all eyes on her, “who all do you know of that is a demon-host?” It took only a moment for Iruka to respond.

“Naruto and your brother, Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage,” he said still confused, before a look of realization crossed his face, “No.”

“Exactly. Naruto and Gaara are two of the most powerful shinobi in either of our villages, in part because of the demons sealed inside them. I think the Akatsuki might be experimenting with creating more demon-hosts that they can use for their cause.”

“Like turning people into demon powered weapon’s?” asked Taka as her sensei finished. Taka looked appalled when Temari nodded. “How could anyone do that?” She looked at Akai, who had suddenly gone stiff as he listened to Temari’s theory. When he looked up, Taka saw a gleam in his eyes that she did not recognize, a kind of determination that would not be easily stopped, like a river that just broke through its dam.

“Are you all saying that the Akatsuki kidnapped my clansmen just so they could turn them into weapons for their own goals?” The anger in Akai’s voice was controlled but only just, even as he looked down at the mark on Roan’s body. Before anyone could answer him, Kiba and Lee returned, both excited, with Akamaru close behind them.

“Akai, we found something!” shouted Kiba, and the enthusiasm in his voice caused the intensity in Akai’s eyes to relax for a moment, “Akamaru and I might have found a scent trail!”

“How do you know?” asked Temari as she stood from examining Roan’s body.

“The scent of perfume. We caught the smell of honeysuckle and jasmine, neither of which are plants native to this area,” he replied as he came to a stop. Akai was suddenly ecstatic.

“That’s the perfume that that Izumi uses!” he shouted, turning to face Iruka and Temari.

“Then let’s go. Lead the way, Kiba!” said Iruka.

The team moved into action instantly, everyone following Kiba’s nose. But when everyone leapt into the canopy to head deeper into the valley, Akai stopped. He turned around and faced Roan and Matsu’s bodies, where they were lying on the ground. He stood there silently for a moment, that same determined look in his eyes once again, before speaking aloud into the night.

“I vow that I will do everything in my power to keep this from happening to anyone else. The ones responsible will pay.” Then, to Roan and Matsu, he added, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I want to thank you. Your attacking us here, even if it was not your intent, told us what we are dealing with. I swear as a leaf shinobi and as your cousin that your deaths here will not be in vain.” With that he turned around a stared into the forest, but he did not leave. Instead, he knelt on one knee and bit each of his thumbs, wiping the blood off on the opposite hands before performing a chain of hand signs.

“Ninja Art: Dual Summoning Jutsu!” He slammed his hands on the ground and a column of white smoke erupted from each spot. When the smoke cleared, the two wolf brothers, Hishin and Mizubuke, were each standing there facing him. The two quickly noticed the solemn look on Akai’s face.

“Akai, what’s wrong?” asked the flame colored Hishin, concerned.

“Nothing,” replied Akai before turning his head over his shoulder to indicate the two figures behind him. When the two wolves saw the children lying there, they each bowed their heads and Akai spoke again. “I have to go on and help rescue others. I would like you two to bring them back to Konoha,” he said indicating his cousins once again, “can you do that?”

“Of course we can, Akai,” replied Hishin, and Mizubuke nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” Akai said as he stood and faced the forest once again, “I’ll see you back in Konoha.” The wolves moved to go and pick up Roan and Matsu as Akai leapt into the canopy, eyes like a roaring river. Taka, who had stopped in the trees after Akai had fallen back from the group, watched on, realizing what those eyes were.

*Those are the eyes of an Avenger,* she thought as she turned and followed Akai.

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